Abstract

A clinical evaluation was done on 182 cases of chest trauma which experienced at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, National Medical Center, from Sep. 1980 to Dec. 1987. 1] Of 182 cases, 125 cases resulted from non-penetrating chest trauma and 57 cases from penetrating wound. 2] The ratio of male to female was 4.87:1, and age groups between 3rd and 6th decade were 71.9%. 3] The most common causes of chest trauma were traffic accident in non-penetrating and stab wound by knife in penetrating cases. 4] Left thorax was the preferred site of chest injury. 5] The incidences of hemothorax, pneumothorax, and hemopneumothorax were 69.6% in non-penetrating and 91% in penetrating. 6] Rib fractures between 4th rib and 8th rib were 68.8% of total rib fracture cases and left side was preferred site. 7] Methods of treatment were conservative management in 24.7%, closed thoracostomy in 54.9%, open thoracotomy in 14.3%, and etc. 8] The incidence of complications, were 11.5% of total cases, and they were atelectasis [8 cases], empyema [3 cases], pneumonia [3 cases], acute renal failure [2 cases], lung abscess [1 case], and etc. 9] The overall mortality was 6%, and causes of death were hypovolemic shock, renal failure, hepatic failure, respiratory failure, septic shock, and etc.

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